I really like that word. It's also a travesty that this blog has been posting so long with nothing about Isaac Asimov, the Grandmaster of Science Fiction.
There are two criteria for a work to be science fiction: one is that it has to have some science fact to it, that it uses or changes somehow to make the story, and it also should have some kind of social commentary. Why do I bring this up? Because the science fact in the Foundation is Math. Yes, you read that right, Math.
To be more precise, it's actually statistics, (which is a subset of math anyway). The main character, Dr. Hari Seldon has discovered a way to use probability to guess the most likely future for the galactic empire. What he found is that the galaxy will most likely have a 20,000 year dark age between the collapse of the first empire and the beginning of the second empire. To ensure the Dark Age only lasts 1000 years, he creates what is called the "Seldon Plan" for the galaxy. Nobody knows what it is, except for the people of the Second Foundation.
The First Foundation (or just the Foundation) is a group of scientists charged by Hari Seldon to write an encyclopedia galactica, or a book of all the knowledge in the galaxy.
I know this series sounds really boring, but I promise that it is not. The Galactic Empire in the Foundation novels has often been cited as the inspiration for the Galactic Empire in Star Wars. They are very similar: Trantor is the capital planet of the Foundation empire, it is a world covered in one big city, and it is as close to the center of the galaxy as an inhabitable planet can be. Coruscant, the capital planet of the Star Wars galaxy, shares all of those characteristics.
The first book, Foundation is actually four short stories that Asimov wrote in college. They describe the origins of the Foundation, and its rise to power in its corner of the galaxy.
The second book, Foundation and Empire, is a story about a man named simply “The Mule” who has the power to alter people’s emotions. Seldon’s plan could not randomly predict someone with that power. Even though the Foundation doesn’t know Seldon’s plan, they know that they must remain control what they already had (they cannot cede any territory, lest the whole plan possibly being thrown off).
The third book, Second Foundation, is two stories: the first is the Mule’s search for the Second Foundation, and the second story is Arkady’s search for the Second Foundation. Arkady is the daughter of a prominent First Foundationer.
All three books have plenty of action, and have interesting conclusions full of neat twists. They are less thought provoking than a Kurt Vonnegut or Philip K. Dick book, but that’s fine because sometimes, we just need a fun adventure to be immersed in (Asimov probably needed an escape from all the studying he did while majoring in biochemistry).
What I like about Asimov’s stories is that he comes up with some kind of concept, like Psychohistory or the three laws of robotics, and then tries to find exceptions or flaws in them. This is especially prevalent in Foundation and Empire when the Mule is taking over the galaxy. Seldon could not have predicted that, so now the whole plan is skewed. It’s an interesting conflict: you have a madman trying to conquer the galaxy, but the deeper implication is that the Dark Age may last longer, or the future may not be as predictable as we hope it is.
This trilogy is a subset of Asimov’s much larger “future history of the Milky Way galaxy series,” which spans seventeen (yes, seventeen) books, starting with I, Robot. I have read nine of the books, in no particular order, and they are all enjoyable on their own. If you know the premise behind psychohistory, then it doesn’t matter if you read book one, then two, then negative 2 (being the first prequel book), then four (being the first sequel book) etc.
I’ll write more about the sequel and prequel books later, because the original Foundation book is really the best place to start. Prelude to Foundation is a good book for fans of the series, but it would not really be a good place to start it. Overall, I highly recommend this series to anyone who even remotely enjoys science fiction, since the story is really good, and they are pretty easy to read, too.
Foundation
ISBN# 0553382578
Foundation on Amazon.com
Foundation and Empire
ISBN# 0553293370
Foundation and Empire on amazon.com
Second Foundation
ISBN# 0553293362
Second Foundation on amazon.com
Showing posts with label mystery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mystery. Show all posts
Friday, September 3, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
The Dresden Files . . . meh.
For a series that boast of badass-ery all over its cover (and indeed, the cover art is really really sweet) the Dresden Files just doesn't live up to the standards of a good fantasy. It is a unique concept for a book, and the mysteries are interesting and not your run of the mill variety. However, the book is bogged down by poor writing and a self-involved main character who can't get past his own image.
Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is a wizard for hire in downtown Chicago. You'd think being the only publicly practicing wizard would pay more, but Harry can barely make ends meet. He sometimes works for the Special Investigations unit of the Chicago Police Department, investigating crimes which involve magic. Karrin Murphey, head of this unit, is the one who hires him and the only one who takes him seriously.
I've read the first two books it this series: Storm Front and Fool Moon. I enjoyed both books, but overall, was not that impressed. After the first book, I was not particularly compelled to read the next one, which should have been a clear sign for me not to bother with the rest of the series. However, I found the plot of the first book enjoyable enough, and decided to try the next one. After reading Fool Moon I realized I really don't need to read anymore of this. The mysteries Harry works on are interesting, but the character pushes the limits of what I can bear to read, the dialogue is contrived, and as I get further into the books, the author begins to hint as deeper undertones for the series which are so cliche they leave a chalky taste in my mouth.
The first complaint I have is the main character, Harry Dresden. The books are written in the first person, so it is possible that his enormous ego is an intrinsic character flaw, but based on the level of competence I see in Butcher's writing, I'm fairly sure that it's not. My suspicions rise as I look at his author picture. Seriously, look at the guy. He's the steriotypical D&D nerd. Character Harry Dresden seems to have no major flaws, aside from a vaguely hinted at darkness that lies dormant in his soul, and even that sounds a little bit cool. Sure, he has some flaws, probably added at the editors requests. They seem out of place with such an otherwise perfect character. He is tall, dark, mysterious, stylish, and, as we are repeatedly reminded, an unusually powerful wizard. If there's ever a bad guy he can't face, it's due to him overexerting himself earlier in the story. As for his image, he makes numerous references to his black duster, guns, and powerful magical weapons, as though trying to remind his readers of how cool he is. The movements the author describes seem unrealistic, as though they're simply for dramatic flare. At times reading this book was like watching a movie with all the dramatic swooshing of his black trenchcoat.
Another thing I disliked about the story was the writing, which, as I've mentioned, is not the highest calibre. For one thing, it is first person, which can be done well, but this is one of the instances where it's not. A good first person narrative offers a certain insight into the character and the way they view the world. In this, it was like playing an RPG. Butcher plows through the story with little attention to narrative devices. His direct method makes for a fast read, with lots of action, but little art. This may appeal to some readers, but not me. After two books I still feel no connection with any of the characters, and that's quite a feat for an author.
The third problem with these books was the dialogue. What passed as witty banter was mostly just a series of awful puns and smart-alec taunts between good guys and bad guys. Most of the time it's horribly out of place, such as when Harry is talking to the head of the police force or mob boss Johnny Marcone. Oftentimes, even the narration would contain such things, followed by the words "(no pun intended)," which, as we all know, is basically the person saying "SEE WHAT I DID THERE??"
It's a shame that such a unique idea was handled so poorly. I enjoyed following the clues and twists along with Harry as he tried to discover the truth behind the murders he was investigating. However, it was not enough to redeem the otherwise empty story. I understand this author has received a good deal of success, and it's no surprise to me. People like a story with a first person narrator who really has no character. It makes it easy for them to slip into that persona and imagine they are the hero. It's the same reason Twilight is famous. Many readers love that sort of thing, and if you are one I don't mean to dissuade you or make you feel wrong about liking it. Reading, and particularly the fantasy genre, is a beautiful escape from everyday life, and everyone should feel free to experience that in whatever way makes them happy. However, if you value the art of a well crafted story, you'd best skip The Dresden Files.
ISBN# 0451457811
The Dresden Files on amazon.com
Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is a wizard for hire in downtown Chicago. You'd think being the only publicly practicing wizard would pay more, but Harry can barely make ends meet. He sometimes works for the Special Investigations unit of the Chicago Police Department, investigating crimes which involve magic. Karrin Murphey, head of this unit, is the one who hires him and the only one who takes him seriously.
I've read the first two books it this series: Storm Front and Fool Moon. I enjoyed both books, but overall, was not that impressed. After the first book, I was not particularly compelled to read the next one, which should have been a clear sign for me not to bother with the rest of the series. However, I found the plot of the first book enjoyable enough, and decided to try the next one. After reading Fool Moon I realized I really don't need to read anymore of this. The mysteries Harry works on are interesting, but the character pushes the limits of what I can bear to read, the dialogue is contrived, and as I get further into the books, the author begins to hint as deeper undertones for the series which are so cliche they leave a chalky taste in my mouth.
The first complaint I have is the main character, Harry Dresden. The books are written in the first person, so it is possible that his enormous ego is an intrinsic character flaw, but based on the level of competence I see in Butcher's writing, I'm fairly sure that it's not. My suspicions rise as I look at his author picture. Seriously, look at the guy. He's the steriotypical D&D nerd. Character Harry Dresden seems to have no major flaws, aside from a vaguely hinted at darkness that lies dormant in his soul, and even that sounds a little bit cool. Sure, he has some flaws, probably added at the editors requests. They seem out of place with such an otherwise perfect character. He is tall, dark, mysterious, stylish, and, as we are repeatedly reminded, an unusually powerful wizard. If there's ever a bad guy he can't face, it's due to him overexerting himself earlier in the story. As for his image, he makes numerous references to his black duster, guns, and powerful magical weapons, as though trying to remind his readers of how cool he is. The movements the author describes seem unrealistic, as though they're simply for dramatic flare. At times reading this book was like watching a movie with all the dramatic swooshing of his black trenchcoat.
Another thing I disliked about the story was the writing, which, as I've mentioned, is not the highest calibre. For one thing, it is first person, which can be done well, but this is one of the instances where it's not. A good first person narrative offers a certain insight into the character and the way they view the world. In this, it was like playing an RPG. Butcher plows through the story with little attention to narrative devices. His direct method makes for a fast read, with lots of action, but little art. This may appeal to some readers, but not me. After two books I still feel no connection with any of the characters, and that's quite a feat for an author.
The third problem with these books was the dialogue. What passed as witty banter was mostly just a series of awful puns and smart-alec taunts between good guys and bad guys. Most of the time it's horribly out of place, such as when Harry is talking to the head of the police force or mob boss Johnny Marcone. Oftentimes, even the narration would contain such things, followed by the words "(no pun intended)," which, as we all know, is basically the person saying "SEE WHAT I DID THERE??"
It's a shame that such a unique idea was handled so poorly. I enjoyed following the clues and twists along with Harry as he tried to discover the truth behind the murders he was investigating. However, it was not enough to redeem the otherwise empty story. I understand this author has received a good deal of success, and it's no surprise to me. People like a story with a first person narrator who really has no character. It makes it easy for them to slip into that persona and imagine they are the hero. It's the same reason Twilight is famous. Many readers love that sort of thing, and if you are one I don't mean to dissuade you or make you feel wrong about liking it. Reading, and particularly the fantasy genre, is a beautiful escape from everyday life, and everyone should feel free to experience that in whatever way makes them happy. However, if you value the art of a well crafted story, you'd best skip The Dresden Files.
ISBN# 0451457811
The Dresden Files on amazon.com
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